Ad group unveils plan to improve web privacy
As the debate over online privacy and advertiser access to users’ data continues, a group of the advertising industry’s largest trade organizations was to announce on Oct. 4 the details of a self-regulatory program that would allow users to opt out of being tracked by its member organizations, reports the New York Times.
Do students need more online privacy education?
Privacy advocates say the rules regarding internet privacy and appropriate online behavior should be stressed at colleges and universities, especially among incoming freshmen, in the wake of a Rutgers University student’s suicide after a video of him having sex was posted on the web without his consent.
Senators spar over for-profit education
A U.S. Senate committee probing allegations that some for-profit schools push students into big debt and fail to educate them likely will introduce a bill tightening rules next year, Reuters reports.
House bill would create office of STEM education
Calling the country “woefully inequipped” to teach students about science and math, Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., introduced a bill Sept. 29 that would create an office to oversee federal efforts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, reports The Hill.
House Democrats punt on net neutrality
In the latest development in the fight over so-called “net neutrality” regulations, House Democrats have shelved a last-ditch effort to broker a compromise between phone, cable, and internet companies on rules that would prohibit broadband providers from blocking or degrading online traffic flowing over their networks.
Texting ban report met with anger, skepticism
Are texting-while-driving bans working? In a controversial report released Sept. 28, the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found that texting bans are not reducing crashes, MSNBC reports.
Rutgers student kills self after sex act broadcast online
A Rutgers University student jumped to his death off a bridge a day after authorities say two classmates surreptitiously recorded him having sex with a man in his dorm room and broadcast it over the internet.
Lawmaker’s net neutrality compromise: Solution or last gasp?
As House Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., prepares to release his legislative proposal for new rules to preserve an open internet, a leaked version reveals that it would limit the FCC’s authority to enforce net neutrality, Ars Technica reports.
New site helps students compare private loans
Students at private, nonprofit colleges and universities in 12 states can use a new online service to find a school loan, avoiding complex web searches that discourage students from finding the best deal.
For-profit schools hit back as ED finalizes regulations
The U.S. Education Department will take longer than expected to formulate new regulations for for-profit colleges, and private-sector school officials expect about 1,000 students to speak out against the government’s measures at a rally planned for Sept. 29 in Washington, D.C.